What is the difference between chemical reactions and nuclear reactions?
Nuclear reactions can be described mathematically in much the same way as chemical reactions. We commonly express these reactions by equations, although there is a unique difference in the nature of the reactions. The principle difference between them lies in how the reaction occurs, specifically how the atom is affected. Chemical reactions involve an atom s electrons while nuclear reactions involve the atom s nucleus. Writing a nuclear reaction equation In order to write an equation for a nuclear reaction, we must first establish some basic rules. Each of the elements involved in the reaction is identified by the chemical symbol. Two numbers are attached to the symbol. The number at the upper right is the mass number, also known as the A number. The ‘A’ number describes the atomic weight of the atom and identifies the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. The number at the lower left is the atomic number, or Z number. The ‘Z’ number describes the number of protons in the nucl
